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With the Bulls defeating the defending champion Boston Celtics earlier today (click here for a wrapup on that one), it was a stern reminder that nothing is a guarantee in playoff basketball. Recognizing that, the Cavaliers played like they were focused on the task at hand. They survived sizzling shooting from Detroit for the first quarter and a half to take the 1-0 series lead.

Defensive Struggle?: Whenever the Cavaliers and Pistons met in the postseason in past years, you could almost bet on a score in the 70s or low 80s. That was not the case today as neither team seemed willing to miss their fair share of shots in the early going. In the first quarter, the Cavaliers shot 60 percent, while the Pistons were firing at a 56 percent clip. LeBron James got the offense running on all cylinders early for the Cavaliers with 12 first quarter points and Zydrunas Ilgauskas displayed some toughness and crashed the boards with purpose. Meanwhile, Rodney Stuckey used a mismatch with Mo Williams to score 10 quick ones in the first quarter and draw two fouls on Mo.

Ben B-B-Back: Ben Wallace, in a mildly surprising move, was activated today and saw playing time just one day after Coach Mike Brown acted as if Ben's return date was uncertain. Ben looked a bit rusty once again, but just his presence out there is important. Ben knows how to guard Rasheed Wallace just about as well as anyone in the association, and that could prove to be important. In 12 minutes today, Wallace had 1 rebound and 1 assist.

Kudos to the Scouts: These two teams are no strangers, but they became even more familiar with each other after watching game film. This was evident as some of the most successful plays that the Cavaliers run were defended well by the Pistons. These included the backdoor play by Anderson Varejao and the corner three for a big man play. Instead, the Cavaliers had to put a twist on these offensive sets. For the corner three play, they used Joe Smith instead of the regular big man in the corner, Zydrunas Ilgauskas. For the backdoor play, Big Z played the role of Andy on the backdoor cut for an easy hoop. The versatility and flexibility of the Cavalier offense, as well as the personnel running it, allows plays to remain fresh. As a result, the offense doesn't get stale or become easily defendable. On the Detroit side, the Pistons like to try and exploit mismatches in the backcourt in post-up situations or by driving to the hole. The Cavaliers were able to stay out of those situations today for the most part. Part of that was because Rodney Stuckey was permitted to shoot open jump shots, which he made. The Cavaliers know that Rodney Stuckey isn't Chauncey Billups in the three-point shooting department, so they can give a little more cushion playing underneath pick-and-roll opportunities. If Stuckey continues to knock down those shots, however, the Cavaliers might have to make some adjustments.

Short Rest: LeBron's customary second quater rest was almost cut in half today. James sat just 2 1/2 minutes while the Pistons went on a run to stay in the game. At the start of the fourth with a double digit lead, James sat just over 3 minutes as the Pistons went on a 7-2 run. James returned to help push the lead out and was able to rest for the last 90 seconds or so. LeBron played just under 41 minutes today, and I expect about that number of minutes consistently. It's something to keep an eye on moving forward through the postseason as many of the Cavalier starters have not had to log anywhere near 40 minutes a game on a consistent basis.

Bench Output: Joe Smith came up big in today's game shooting 5-of-10 from the floor for 13 points in just 19 minutes. One of those makes was on the corner three play and another was a fantastic play where the Cavaliers ran a transition break and James found Smith cutting right up the middle of the floor for a slam. Smith had 7 of his 13 points in one short stretch early in the second quarter with James on the bench when offense was needed. While Daniel Gibson, Wally Szczerbiak, and Ben Wallace got 10-15 minutes each, Smith was the only one productive in the scoring column. Cleveland needs at least one of the bench bunch to get double digit scoring in each game to be successful and relieve some of the pressure off the starting five.

LeBron Floats and Banks In Buzzer Beater: With 2 seconds left before halftime, LeBron James took the inbounds pass at the Pistons' three-point line and somehow got to just inside halfcourt, floated in the air for what seemed like seconds, drifted about 20 feet down the court in the air, and released the ball with 0.3 left on the clock as it banked home. We've all seen LeBron take dozens of those shots this season, and you knew that at some point, one of those was going to fall. It really put a dagger into the Pistons heading into the break as they trailed by a dozen.

Frustration Sets In: It's only Game 1, but frustration is already creeping up on the Detroit Pistons. Not Rasheed Wallace, but Richard Hamilton was the one getting chippy with Mo Williams. In the fourth quarter, Mo was defending Hamilton and as he passed the ball, Hamilton took his elbow to Mo's neck and sent him to the deck. He did so right in front of the official, and he was called for an offensive foul. This is something to monitor in upcoming games. If things start to slip away from the Pistons, they may go after LeBron much like the Wizards did last season. A lot of these guys are veterans, some are free agents, and they have nothing to lose.

goes to: LeBron James. LeBron did it all today with 38 points on an efficient 13-for-20 shooting, pulled down 8 rebounds, and dished out 7 assists. Most importantly, he sent a message to the Pistons that he was going to be impossible to defend in this series. Worthy of mention in addition to James was Smith with 13 points, and Williams, Delonte West, and Ilgauskas all with 12 points. Z notched a double-double with 10 rebounds also.

Team Grade: N/A. I've decided to discontinue the team grade for the postseason, because now that it is playoff time, anything other than a win is not acceptable. Meanwhile, a win is a win on the way to capturing 16 of them.

Bottom Line: The Cavaliers shot 53 percent today, needing just 5 three pointers and 15 attempts. Cleveland got to the line 27 times, making 23 of them. They won the battle of the boards 34-31, dished out 24 assists on their 37 field goals, and they turned the ball over just 4 times! If the Cavaliers continue to play like this, the Pistons won't be around long.

The Cavaliers and Pistons will write chapter two in the series on Tuesday night in the Q.

ONE GOAL,

Kirk

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